The present invention relates to a synthetic fecal fluid compound. More particularly it is a synthetic fecal fluid compound that has an improved dewatering rate thereby making it more useful than existing materials for testing and other procedures where fecal matter is involved. One particular area of usefulness is with respect to the development of personal care devices such as diapers, training pants and incontinence garments which serve to collect and contain fecal matter.
Many companies, such as the assignee of record, expend large sums of money in the development of and improvement in personal care products including diapers, training pants and incontinence garments. One of the primary criterion in the development of such products is their ability to collect and contain body fluids including urine and fecal matter. While it is often the case that end-of-term development of a new or improved product involves actual experimental consumer testing, much of the initial testing is done on a bench scale in the laboratories. In such situations it is not practical to use actual body fluids. As a result, synthetic materials and substitutes are used. Strange as it may seem, materials used in the past have included mashed potatoes, brownie mix, peanut butter and pumpkin pie filling. In fact, the need for such material is great enough that a synthetic formulation has been commercially produced and sold. SiliClone Studio of Valley Forge, Pa. has marketed a synthetic fecal fluid sold under the trademark FECLONE.RTM..
One problem in the use of the previously mentioned materials is their inability to mimic the actual material. Babies, as an example, excrete fecal matter which varies over a wide range of viscosities despite the fact that the water content stays fairly constant. This variance in viscosity/consistency is often due to the babies' diets, health and stage of development. Typically the water content stays within the range of 70 to 90 percent by weight and most typically at approximately 80 percent. By way of the present invention it has been found that the viscosity of the material is more dependent upon the weight percent of soluble and insoluble components as well as the molecular weight of the soluble component used to make the synthetic counterparts.
As mentioned at the outset, one major problem with synthetic fecal compounds and their substitutes is the fact that they release their water content or dewater too rapidly. Despite the apparent simplicity of personal care products, their actual structures are very complex. Their ability to absorb and retain body fluids is critically dependent upon the interaction of the various components of the product and their interaction with test fluids and compounds. As a result, the more inaccurate the properties are of the test fluids and compounds, the more inexact will be the testing within the lab. This in turn results in the need for more experimental use testing, higher costs and longer time periods for development. It is therefore and object of the present invention to provide a synthetic fecal fluid compound. It is another object of the present invention to provide a synthetic fecal fluid compound with a greater ability to retain water and therefore have a slower dewatering rate. These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent upon a further review of the following specification and claims.